25 - Losing track of planets is embarrassing
"I have been stuck on a miserable mudball and missing you every moment. I should have recommended Inva Mula more. Then there was this invasion, people needed help and yeah, Anakin met Amelia." I say.
"Just like that?"
"Yes, just like that. I'm being optimistic."
"Of what?"
"Of everyone making good decisions, growing a bit and learning."
"Okay. It's just that, never mind love. You rest up." Shayla says and then gives me an injection. I drift off noticing she's worried. I wonder what...
-----
Later, when I wake up again I find Anakin sitting in a chair reading beside me. He looks a little hunted.
"Good morning Anakin?" I say as I trying moving. It's painful, but doable.
"It's main shift. I think that means it's the afternoon." says Anakin.
"I see we have been rescued by the Outer Rim Squadron. How is everyone?" I say brightly. Well as bright as is possible when the chances of coffee are absolutely zero.
"Fine. I guess. Um, do you know what's happened?" says Anakin.
"The Chancellor of the Republic turned out to be a Sith Lord. He escaped before the Jedi could capture him. What I remember as the Clone Wars has started early. I'm wanted for several as of yet unspecified crimes."
"Yeah. Palpatine. Dee-Jay, did you know? About him." asks Anakin.
"Yes, I did. It had to remain a very close secret. No one could know, certainly not anyone in contact with him." I say.
"You knew about that as well!" exclaims Anakin,
'Yes Anakin. I had a vision regarding the Chancellor and what would happen if you were trained as a Jedi in the normal way. He would recruit you as his apprentice and plunge the Galaxy into darkness. It was decided to attempt a slightly more non-traditional approach to avoid that tragedy."
Anakin just stares at me. Got to admit, it's a lot to take in. Look on the bright side, everyone still has all their bits.
"So, any questions?" I ask after a bit.
"I don't know." comes the surly reply.
I shift and sit up. Ow. Then I essay standing up and nearly collapse as my left leg registers it's displeasure to being used so soon.
"Okay then. In your own time. Meanwhile, care to help me to the bridge?"
Anakin supports me as I stumble out of medical.
"Arghh! I think we should hurry." I say as pain lances up my side with each step.
"Why? What's going on."
"Clone Wars. Except there's no clones. Ow. I'll explain later." I say to Anakin. I look at the woman at the duty station and wave my hand. "It's okay, I am fine. I have been released." I say before departing and hobbling towards the Bridge. "So Anakin, any other reason you were hiding out in my room?" I ask.
Anakin reddens, but fortunately does not drop me.
"Dee-Jay!"
-----
The bridge has lots of people in uniform all busy at the business of 'make sure the starship does not explode'. Several people look up, but return to their duties. The Sky Marshall is a little more attentive.
"Master Dee-Jay. Anakin." she says.
"We need to go to Kamino. Ow. Now." I say.
Padme looks at me. "Why?"
"To rescue some folks before Palpatine has them all killed." I say.
"You know where that monster will strike next? Very well, where is this system?" says Padme.
"Excellent. It's..." I begin but then realise I have no bloody idea. Damn it. I should know this!
Fortunately, Padme is at least used to me and my ways.
"Nevermind. We can find it. Navigation." she says.
"Yes Ma'am."
"Locate and set a course for the Kamino System. All due speed." orders Padme.
"Yes Ma'am."
A few minutes later there is a small problem.
"What do you mean there's no such system?" asks an officer.
"There's no such system. Master Jedi? Are you sure that's the system's name?" says the rating.
Oh, there was something about this place. Why can't I remember? Wait.
"The locals removed it from the databases. Because they're so damn dodgy. It's, it's in..." I trail off. Damn it! Bloody obscure plot points from the Prequels!
"Dee-Jay. I could help." suggests Anakin.
"No! I can remember. Obi-Wan! He knows. It's in some star cluster and you can find it because all the local stars are still acting like it's there." I say.
"Obi-Wan knows? Someone get him here." says Padme.
"Thank you. Wait. That didn't happen. He talks to Yoda, there's all these kids, they had lightsabres and.." I can see the damn scene in my mind. This would be a lot easier without everything hurting. I hobble towards the other side of the bridge, everyone watching the mad Jedi Master.
The door opens and Shayla trailed by a few medics enters. She looks kinda angry.
"What are you doing out of bed!" she says advancing with a hypo.
With Anakin's help I hobble away from her.
"I just need some more time. Please, it's on the tip of my tongue." I say
The door opens again and Kenobi steps in.
"Sky Marshall. You have..." he begins but trails off. "What exactly is going on?" he says regarding the tableau.
"I'm not sure. Your Master..." says Padme.
"Oh, he's not mine." says Obi-Wan. Thanks dude. Not recommending you for the Council anytime soon.
I look at Obi-Wan. Great. Now put him in the scene. What does he say?
"Rishi Maze! Kamino is at a gravitational centre South of the Rishi Maze! Okay, now you can take me back to medical." I say at last.
"I have half a mind to make you walk back." says Shayla before injecting me with the hypo. Things start getting blurry.
"Anakin, since you're here. Can I have a talk with you." requests Padme.
From the look on Anakin's face maybe this was something he was avoiding. He hands me over to a medical flunky.
"Don't panic. Don't mention sand and you'll be fine." I say before being dragged away.
-----
When my vision returns Shayla is looking down at me, arms crossed in a pans species gesture, expression set.
"I'm still in trouble?" I hazard.
"What do you think?" says Shayla.
"Are we at least on our way to Kamino?" I ask as I sit up.
"Yes, we are. Why is it so important that you aggravated your injuries and scared me like that?" she says.
"I am sorry. It is important. Two million lives important. Slaves too. Can't let them be killed, they're innocent victims." I say.
"This is all part of that vision of yours?" asks Shayla.
"Yes. Almost the last piece." I say.
"I, see. Dee-Jay, I have to know. I've been thinking about things. You knew about Palpatine. It was him you were testing when we first met. You once told me everything you do was in service of preventing your visions." she says.
Oh no.
"Yes Shayla, I knew. I have endeavoured to prevent a terrible future." I say. I am about to say more but she interrupts me.
"Am I a part of that plan?" she says quietly.
I pause and consider my words carefully.
"Well?" she says.
"No, you are not. I fell in love with you, which was not part of any plan, I promise."
Shayla sits down beside me.
"How can I know that?" she says uncertainly.
I pick up her hands in mine.
"I love you Shayla." I say looking into her eyes.
"Do you?"
"Yes"
"Then tell me. No lies. No evasions or half truths. Who are you?"
"Yes, You deserve to know. You were right. I am not human. Not the species you know as human at least. I don't even come from this Galaxy. I was born in a small country on a world from another universe..." I say as I begin.
It's something of a relief to confess almost everything to Shayla. While being open about who I am and where I really am from we are still leaving out the 'and an ancient evil has a line into my thoughts' part. Mainly because there are some really worrying implications regarding how her presence seems to keep Abby away. Shayla is a bit wide eyed as my tale is incredible, but rather accepting for all that. This is a civilization that routinely uses another dimension for space travel after all. She is amused more than anything. To her, Earth is like a quaint backwards village stuck in some weird time warp.
"No AG, no holocom, no sonic showers?" she says somewhat incredulously, listing some common technologies that have been here forever.
"No, I think my home universe is similar, but different." I say.
Other things, of course are more sobering.
"You still miss her." she says.
"I do. I'm sorry." I say.
Shayla hugs me and then looks at me.
"Don't be. I'm someone new, someone different, someone who loves you." says Shayla.
-----
Later, I get several visitors. First is Anakin, wearing his 'guilty as hell' face. How did you ever keep your marriage a secret? I know when you sneak a snack. Maybe everyone did know but were politely ignoring it because The Hero with No Brain was winning the war for them.
"How are you?" he asks as he enters.
"My patient is to not go on any exciting adventures for at least two standard days, which I expect a responsible member of the Jedi Order to take seriously." warns Shayla.
"Hear that Dee-Jay, I'm the responsible one." says Anakin.
Force help us all.
"Speaking of responsible, how did your talk with Padme go?" I say.
Anakin reddens, looks between the two of us, at his shoes and finally back to me.
"That well? Care to elaborate?" I ask.
"Well, she was asking me about what happened on Neforaan. What the terraforming was like. So I told her about the various machines I worked on and she seemed quite interested." says Anakin.
I try to maintain a serious demeanor. Anakin, you could have been reading off a list of hyperspace coordinates and Padme would have appeared interested.
"And did you mention Amelia?" I ask.
Anakin looks away for a moment.
"Um, yeah. What happened was not my fault!" he says defiantly.
"Not your fault?" says Shayla.
"Um, well she asked me how things were going. When I said we had kissed then she asked 'was it like this' and she, she kissed me!" says Anakin.
I give up on serious.
"And now you're in medical." I say smiling before turning to Shayla. "Is there a cure?"
"None I'm afraid. Completely fatal. I give him, oh, eighty to ninety years." says Shayla.
"You're not helping." grouses Anakin.
"With what? It's a little surprising, I'll admit, but you both are attracted to one another. In fact, given some of her ancestors, you got off lightly." I say.
"What do I do?" says Anakin.
"About what? You can always say no thank you next time. Stand on your toes. She's not that tall." I say.
Anakin glares at me.
"Dee-Jay! Be serious, what do I do?"
"About what? Very well, find out what everyone wants, including yourself and then negotiate a solution for everyone." I say.
Anakin stands up.
"I don't know what I want! I have always liked Padme, but then there's Amelia and..." he says pacing.
"Calm down Anakin. Relax. Take a moment. Focus." I say.
Anakin stops pacing and his breathing becomes more measured.
"Good. Now, second step. I can tell you're feeling guilty. So, go have a talk with Amelia, tell her what happened and then see how things go from there."
"Talk?" says Anakin.
"Did you think worrying and patiently awaiting a miraculous solution was going to work? Now get, also, leave your lightsabre here."
Anakin looks doubtful, but he unclips the weapon, hands it over and shuffles out.
"Are you sure about that?" asks Shayla.
"He's going to have to talk it out. That's best done before Amelia hears a warped version via the rumour mill."
Shayla nods.
"What did you mean by Amidala's ancestors?" she asks after a moment.
"The Naboo weren't always an Elective Monarachy. Some of their rulers were, well, colourful in their abuse of power. Also, look up the Bene Villa, one of her ancestors wrote that too."
Shayla's tentacles coil as she parses the old Naboo dialect.
"The Good House? Why?"
"Trust me. The housekeeping tips are not what it's famous for." I say.
"Sounds intriguing, I'll look it up." says Shayla.
-----
It's not long before I get my next visitor. Grete walks in and salutes Shayla.
"At ease, Specialist Hama, relax, You are here to speak with Dee-Jay." says Shayla.
"Yes Sir. I am in need of Jedi guidance." says Grete.
Grete moves over, sits down and looks at me. After a pause.
"How may I help?" I say.
"Have I done the right thing?" says Grete.
"Joining the Squadron? Making the Rim a better place? Fighting slavery? These are all good and worthy things." I say.
"But, but, you know why I joined." says Grete.
"Yes and however rash, it was a good decision. Mentioned in Dispatches three times already. Recommended for Squad Leader." says Shayla looking at a pad.
"Seems like this is something you are good at. Is it what you want to do?" I say.
"I thought I did, but..." Grete trails off.
"You thought this would impress Anakin." I say.
"Yes, but the Sky Marshall." begins Grete.
"She outranks you, but she cannot order you to not ask Anakin out."
"What about that Jedi woman?"
"What about her? Grete you are fixed too much on the advantages your rivals have. Yes Amidala is the Sky Marshall, Saviour of Naboo and a member of the ruling class. Yes Amelia is a Jedi and an engineer. You however know him the best. You were his best friend. You don't have to guess at what he likes because you already know. If that fails, remind him of when you two attended Jar Jar's marriage." I say.
Grete brightens up at that.
"Yes, you're right. Thanks Dee-Jay! Sir." she says and leaves. We watch her go.
"Now. Was that wise? Also, marriage ceremony?" asks Shayla once Grete is gone.
"What? I merely reminded her that she isn't as totally outclassed as it first appears. As for Jar-Jar? He was welcomed into a Family Circle. Sort of like a marriage. Anyways, they insist on attendees coming as 'they were hatched'. They do make allowances for non aquatics to use a breather. Otherwise we were naked."
"Naked?" says Shayla smiling.
"All part of diplomatic training. It was the taking a bite of the ceremonial fish that was the tricky bit."
-----
Fortunately there are no more interruptions. A day or so later I am on the bridge , having promised Shayla not to do anything too crazy, watching the weird realm of hyperspace outside.
"You're under arrest." says Obi-Wan in an aside as he comes to stand beside me.
"Fine, you can deal with Chosen One's love life." I say back.
"You are being released under escort and advisement." replies Obi-Wan.
"Very wise." I say.
"Transit!" calls a crew member and the view immediately shifts to normal reality, dominated by a blue sphere shrouded in clouds. Of more interest are the nasty looking cruisers in orbit. They look like large claws and are releasing a series of shuttles which are descending towards the planet. Sporadic flashes indicate them trading fire with ground defences.
"All ships engage those ships and prevent them dropping more troops. Master of Marines, prepare for combat drop to defend the planetside assets." orders Padme.
Everyone hurries to obey. I turn towards her.
"With your leave, I believe we could best assist on the ground." I say.
Padme nods and confers briefly via com with a subordinate.
"Very well, use shuttle ten." she says.
"Thank you. Come on Obi-Wan. Exciting adventures await." I say as I leave.
"You're still under arrest." he says following.